PHILLIP PRICE has his work cut out to make it back-to-back Welsh winners on the European Tour after day one of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

After seeing fellow Pontypridd-born professional Jamie Donaldson lift the Abu Dhabi Championship last Sunday, three-time Tour winner Price, the only Welshman in the field this week, failed to find any inspiration carding a one-over-par 73 to be eight shots off the pace set by Ricardo Santos.

Justin Rose, runner-up to Donaldson in Abu Dhabi after missing a 12-foot putt at the last to force a play-off, suffered a one-stroke penalty that left him three shots behind the Portuguese pro. Rose had to be content with a four under par 68 after he was penalised a foot from the hole on the short 17th.

England’s world No.4 had missed his birdie attempt and was addressing the ball ready to tap in when he noticed it moved a fraction.

European Tour referee Paul Carrigill was called and with no wind to blame for the change in position he imposed the extra shot and told Rose to move the ball back before continuing. The incident did not unsettle him, however. After holing for a bogey four the 32-year-old found the green in two at the 589-yard last and two-putted for his sixth birdie.

One of Rose’s playing partners was Ryder Cup teammate Martin Kaymer. He was playing with Tiger Woods last Friday when the American incurred a two-stroke penalty for taking a wrong drop and missed the halfway cut because of it.

Rose said he felt ‘completely hard done by’, but accepted the penalty was correct.

“I think that’s happened to a lot of guys in the past. To cut to the chase, the greens aren’t perfect and have a lot of ridges and humps and hollows,” said the 2012 Ryder Cup hero.

“It was just unfortunate timing that as I put my putter behind the ball, which I know didn’t cause the ball to move, the ball was finding some indentation. I’m deemed to have caused it to move even though in your heart of hearts you know you haven’t. There has been a change in the rule, but that only applies to a wind gust, when you are allowed to place it back without penalty.”